ROADTRIP NATION PRESENTS

Beating the Odds Trailer(2:18)

Beating the Odds(55:09)

When everything is stacked against you, college may seem out of reach. But if a degree is your goal, nothing can hold you back.

On paper, Esther, Ikie, and Estephanie aren’t supposed to have made it to college. From unstable foster homes to financial insecurities, the obstacles they’ve encountered have, at times, seemed insurmountable. But even with everything stacked against them, they saw that college could be their way out—so they fought for it, tooth and nail.

Now, as the three cross the country to hear how others beat the odds to make it through graduation and beyond, they’ll see that by pursuing their college degrees, they’re not just shaking free of what’s weighing them down—they’re joining a rising tide with the power to lift up all of the communities they love.

If you’re a parent, teacher, or student looking for educational resources that will help you dive deeper into the topics and themes in this documentary, check out our viewing guide.

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INSIGHTS FROM THE FILM

“If I could do it, there's so many people back home who could be doing this. So let me help them.”

Michelle Obama, Former First Lady of the United States

“Whatever you do is gonna be ten times harder than for the next person, but because of what you went through, you'll be ten times more capable.”

“The road that's taken me to where I am was so hard, but those trials were, in actuality, paving the way to greatness.”

Scout Bassett, Paralympian

CATCH IT ON TV

Enter your zip code to find this program on your local public television station.

FEATURED INTERVIEWS

Elaine Del Valle
Producer, Playwright, & Actress

Geoffrey Canada
Education Reform Activist

Michelle Obama
Former First Lady of the United States

Tristan Love
Assistant Principal, Houston Independent School District

Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Author, Advocate, & Speaker

Robert Garcia
Mayor, City of Long Beach, California

Scout Bassett
Paralympian

THERE'S MORE WHERE THIS CAME FROM

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We’re celebrating the stories of people who beat the odds and made it to college.

We’ve teamed up with the ACT Center for Equity in Learning to send three young people who are in college
(or on their way!) on a road trip around the country to talk to folks who have overcome obstacles of all kinds to finish
their education. As these three road&dash;trippers travel coast to coast, they’ll hear real stories and struggles, and
get inspiration and lessons for the road ahead.

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FEED FROM THE ROAD

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INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

👋👋👋 It was tough saying goodbye to these three incredible road-trippers yesterday. #BTORoadtrip

Congrats to Ikie, Esther, and Estephanie! These three awesome roadtrippers just wrapped up their #BTORoadtrip yesterday. We can't wait to watch the documentary next summer, and have the world hear their inspiring beating the odds stories and see their journey across the country! #BetterMakeRoom 🚌🎓🙌

BetterMakeRoom

At @BetterMakeRoom’s College Signing Day, I got to hear about an amazing @RoadtripNation initiative to send three students on a cross-country road trip to talk to inspiring professionals who beat the odds to get a degree! Fueled by @ACTCenterforEquity, the initiative is called the Beating the Odds Roadtrip, and the team of incredible young adults is hitting the road soon! You can follow the journey here: rtn.is/bto #BTORoadtrip

Love these guys so much! Can't wait to travel the U.S with them! #BTOroadtrip

I've never been more excited than I am right now! I'm taking a trip across the nation interviewing amazing leaders who have beaten the odds, changed their communities, and went on to become so successful! #BTORoadtrip

I got to meet our new crew yesterday!👏 Estephanie, Esther, and Ikie will be hitting the road soon to be a part of our latest documentary✨🛣link in bio 😊 #BeatTheOdds #BTOroadtrip #ACT #roadtripnation

Born and raised in the heart of coal country in West Virginia, Ikie wants to get into politics to help start conversations and do something about the problems he sees at home.

ACTEquity

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THE ROADTRIPPERS

ESTEPHANIE

JAMES

ESTHER

ESTEPHANIE

Age 20
From The Bronx, NY

Estephanie is focused on growing into who she wants to be, and when something blocks her way, she finds a
new way up. Raised in the Bronx by her mother, who worked seven days a week, Estephanie has been acting
and performing for as long as she can remember, but arts education at her school was nonexistent. She got
the spark she needed in an after-school arts program for inner-city students. Going from a school where
she’d been teased for trying and striving, she saw what a difference one opportunity could make. After
finishing high school in Miami, she’s back in the Bronx, working full-time and commuting to college at
Pace University, where she’s studying acting. Even through the stress of paying for school, the hard work
is worth it if she can help other kids like her find that spark to become who they are, too.

JAMES “IKIE”

Age 21
From Boone County, WV

There’s nothing that can keep me down, says Ikie. He knows that now, because in his teens, he faced his
biggest turning point, and made it through. For his whole life, his parents struggled with drugs, but when he was
15, both of his parents were arrested, and the next year, his father died of an overdose. Surviving that time and
getting to college has given him a different perspective on the programs and policies politicians talk about.
That’s why he’s majoring in political science at Marshall University. Born and raised in the heart of
coal country in West Virginia, Ikie wants to get into politics to help start conversations and do something about
the problems he sees at home. On this trip, he’s looking for inspiration from others who have come from
small towns and gone on to make big changes.

ESTHER

Age 19
From Brookfield, WI

For Esther, theater was always a way to escape what was happening at home. And even when home changed, as she
moved from an abusive household and bounced through the foster system, her love of acting persisted. At 13, when
she and her brother were adopted into a big family, she gained 19 new brothers and sisters and a world of support.
But every day is still a battle, even with her family by her side. The challenges she’s faced have made her
stronger, and she’s determined not to let them limit her--or her opportunities. Theater, once an escape, is
now her focus, along with elementary education. She’s planning on studying both next year at the University
of Wisconsin—Stevens Point. That’s why she wants to see how others pursued many passions and reached
their goals, so she can learn and grow from their stories.

SHARE HOW YOU OVERCAME ADVERSITY TO EARN YOUR
DEGREE, AND HELP PAVE THE ROAD FOR THOSE WHO FOLLOW

The ACT Center for Equity in Learning has collaborated with Better
Make Room and Roadtrip Nation to create a community where
individuals who overcame the odds in pursuit of a post–secondary
education can share their stories and advice. Use our “Share Your
Road” tool to recount the steps you took to get to where you are
today—and the struggles you worked through along the
way—and your inspiring story will help aspiring and current
post–secondary students surmount the hurdles in their own lives.